CUs Take Lead on Student Debt

I was heartened by the Credit Union Times front-page story about credit unions teaching college-aged students the importance of repaying their student loans (“Credit Unions Tutor Students in the Fourth ‘R’–Repayment,” May 16.)

Headlines abound daily about the rate at which student debt is climbing. And while it’s tied to the rising cost of higher education and greater number of students hoping to improve their career prospects, those students are often ill-prepared to manage their finances after graduation. It’s ironic that college students are taught the finer points of business finance and marketing but not personal financial responsibility.

At a time when many in the country feel no compunction about walking away from debt they freely took on, this article made me smile. It’s refreshing to read the many positive stories from credit unions that are helping students learn what their financial obligations mean and how to manage them.

Once again, credit unions are taking the lead, teaching money-management principles to their youth members who are, of course, the future of our movement.